The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
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Tokyo reports over 5,000 COVID-19 cases for 4th straight day
TOKYO - The Tokyo metropolitan government reported 5,074 new coronavirus cases on Saturday, topping the 5,000 level for the fourth straight day.
The seven-day rolling average of COVID-19 infections came to 4,719.0 per day, up 11.5 percent from the previous week, according to the capital's government.
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Motegi visits Iraq, 1st by Japan foreign minister in 15 yrs
TOKYO - Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi made an unannounced trip to Iraq on Saturday, making it the first visit to the country by a Japanese foreign minister in 15 years.
Motegi, who is on a tour to the Middle East, will hold talks with President Barham Salih and other senior Iraqi officials later Saturday, the Japanese Foreign Ministry said.
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Former Deputy PM Ismail Sabri sworn in as Malaysia's new leader
KUALA LUMPUR - Former Deputy Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob was sworn in as Malaysia's new prime minister on Saturday, taking over from Muhyiddin Yassin who resigned earlier this week after losing majority support in parliament.
Dressed in traditional black and gold Malay attire, and masked up amid the coronavirus pandemic, the 61-year-old took the oath before King Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin at the National Palace in a ceremony.
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Biden vows to complete difficult evacuation mission in Afghanistan
WASHINGTON - U.S. President Joe Biden on Friday pledged to continue efforts to evacuate Americans and others from the Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, while calling it one of the most difficult missions of its kind in history.
Speaking at the White House, Biden stressed that the United States has gotten around 13,000 people out of the war-torn country since the evacuation operation started on Aug. 14.
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Biden nominates ex-Obama aide Emanuel as U.S. ambassador to Japan
WASHINGTON - President Joe Biden said Friday he will nominate Rahm Emanuel, who served as a top aide to former President Barack Obama, as U.S. ambassador to Japan, seeking to fill a key diplomatic post that has been vacant for about two years.
Biden also tapped Nicholas Burns, a former diplomat and currently a Harvard University professor, as U.S. ambassador to China.
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Tokyo Paralympic success all depends on COVID control, says IPC head
TOKYO - The success of the Tokyo Paralympics all depends on whether organizers of the games will be able to control coronavirus infections, International Paralympic Committee head Andrew Parsons said Saturday, as the host city continues to reel from record daily numbers of COVID-19 cases.
In an interview with Kyodo News in Tokyo three days before the opening of the Paralympics, Parsons said other criteria to measure success, such as the number of world records and how many people will watch the world's biggest event for athletes with disabilities, will be less important.
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Japan foreign minister planning talks with new Iran president on Sun.
TEHRAN - Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi is planning to talk with new Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in Tehran on Sunday, diplomatic sources said Saturday.
The meeting with Raisi, an anti-U.S. conservative hardliner who took office this month, comes as Iran faces a deadlock in nuclear talks with the United States and Europe. Japan, meanwhile, has built friendly ties with Tehran while also being allied with Washington.
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U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris departs for Singapore, Vietnam
WASHINGTON - Vice President Kamala Harris on Friday departed for Singapore and Vietnam on a trip to demonstrate U.S. commitment to the Indo-Pacific region amid the growing clout of China.
Her travel comes as U.S. President Joe Biden faces strong criticism at home and abroad over a chaotic withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan amid the Taliban's recent takeover of the country.
